CMA Announces 2025 Awards Ballot Schedule

As part of its core mission, the Country Music Association celebrates excellence not just once a year, but all year long, throughout every corner of the Country Music industry. As the premier trade association for the genre, CMA honors the artists and creatives, broadcasters, touring professionals, and industry leaders whose contributions continue to shape and elevate Country Music worldwide. With the release of its 2025 awards ballot schedule—including key dates for the CMA Awards, Broadcast Awards, Touring Awards, International Awards, and Industry Honors—CMA underscores its ongoing commitment to recognizing the talent, dedication, and innovation that define the format.

“Country Music runs on the passion and hard work of so many people—on stage, behind the scenes, and in communities around the world,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “At CMA, we take that to heart. Our awards and industry honors aren’t just about recognition; they’re about celebrating the people who make this genre what it is. We’re proud to shine a light on the incredible creativity, dedication, and teamwork that moves Country Music forward every day.”

Below is a snapshot of key dates, eligibility requirements, and voting processes across CMA’s annual awards cycle.

CMA Awards Balloting Timeline — “The 59th Annual CMA Awards”

The CMA Awards celebrate excellence in Country Music across 12 categories, honoring artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, mix engineers, and music video directors who made a significant impact on the genre during the eligibility period.

• Eligibility Period:
  • July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025
• Voting Process:
  • All CMA Professional voting members can vote in three rounds. As of today, 6,468 Professional members are eligible to vote.
    • Nomination Ballot: Voters write in any artist or project they think deserves a nomination. If it fits the criteria for that category, it counts.
    • Second Ballot: The top 20 vote-getters from the first round move forward (only the top 15 for Entertainer of the Year). Members can vote for up to five candidates in each category.
    • Final Ballot: The top 5 from the second round become the official nominees—and CMA members vote one last time to choose the winners. Members can vote for one nominee in each category.
  • Musician of the Year: Voting in all rounds remains limited to eligible voters in the following membership categories: Musician, Artist, Composer, and Producer/Engineer/Studio.
  • Song of the Year: New this year, only eligible voters in the following membership categories can vote in the Nomination and Second Ballots: Composer, Artist, Musician, Producer/Engineer/Studio, and Publisher/PRO. All eligible voters can vote in the Final Ballot.
  • All three rounds of voting will be conducted online by Election Services Corp. (ESC). To ensure ballot delivery, members are encouraged to add CMAAwardsVote@mg.electionservicescorp.com to their safe senders.
  • All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.  
• Nomination Ballot:
  • Emailed to eligible CMA members on Monday, July 7
  • Closes Wednesday, July 16 at 6:00 PM/CT
• Second Ballot:
  • Emailed on Tuesday, Aug. 5
  • Closes Monday, Aug. 18 at 6:00 PM/CT
  • Final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
• Final Ballot:
  • Emailed on Wednesday, Oct. 1
  • Closes Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 6:00 PM/CT
• Membership Deadline & Information:
  • To vote in all three rounds, prospective CMA members must apply for membership by Sunday, June 1 at CMAmember.com…

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